News article

12 October 2017

Ian Wright CBE, FDF Director General, said:“It’s been almost four months since the Prime Minister set out her
offer for EU citizens to stay in the UK. The negotiators must put the politics
to
one side and focus on the people – without whom, we would be unable to
feed the nation. The protracted uncertainty has already led to food and
drink’s valued EU workers leaving the UK, with many more considering
their
futures
here.

“FDF was the first trade association to call for the right for all EU
workers to remain. It is of grave concern to industry that after many rounds of
talks, we are yet to see concrete progress. This does not bode well for the
many
other thorny issues on the table. For the individuals and their families, this
is
a desperate scenario. The UK Government must do the right thing and now
unilaterally guarantee the rights of these valued workers who have chosen to
make the UK their home.”